• The Art Of Polychords

    in Chords & Progressions

    If you’ve ever wondered how master musicians execute and remember large, extended chord voicings, understanding polychords will be especially helpful for you.

    A polychord is simply a big chord made up of smaller ones.

    For example, C minor 11 is:

    By all means, this would be considered a “big” chord. But do you really have to remember each note individually?

    Not at all.

    How many small chords do you see in this C minor 11 chord?

    I see a C minor triad:

    I see an Eb major triad:

    I see a G minor triad:

    I see a Bb major triad:

    I see an Eb major 7 chord:

    I see a G minor 7 chord:

    In GospelKeys Urban Pro 600, Jonathan Powell shows his formula to playing “phat” minor 11 chords. If he were voicing this same chord, he’d put Eb major 7 in his left hand (assuming a bass player already took care of the “C”). He’d then put Bb major in the right hand.

    Sometimes, he inverts the Eb major 7 chord so that the notes are arranged like this:

    Looking at this from a “number system” perspective, that would be: b3 major 7 + b7 major.

    Note: In the key of C major, Eb is the b3 (flatted third) and Bb is the b7 (flatted seventh).

    So the next time you see a big, “monster” chord, don’t be intimidated. Instead, look for the smaller chords within it, create your own formula like the one above, make a mental note, and practice it regularly to commit it to memory.

    And there you have it! Short and sweet.

    Until next time –

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    Hi, I'm Jermaine Griggs, founder of this site. We teach people how to express themselves through the language of music. Just as you talk and listen freely, music can be enjoyed and played in the same way... if you know the rules of the "language!" I started this site at 17 years old in August 2000 and more than a decade later, we've helped literally millions of musicians along the way. Enjoy!




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